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APPENDIX D: The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993

(No. 46 of 1993)*

[5th June, 1993]
An Act to provide for the prohibition of employment of manual scavengers as well as construction or continuance of dry latrines and for the regulation of construction and maintenance of water-seal latrines and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
WHEREAS fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual has been enshrined in he Preamble to the Constitution;
AND WHEREAS article 47 of the Constitution, inter alia, provides that the State shall regard raising the standard of living of its people and the improvement of public health as among its primary duties;
AND WHEREAS the dehumanizing practice of manual scavenging of human excreta still continues in many parts of the country;
AND WHEREAS the municipal laws by themselves as a measure for conversion of dry latrines into water-seal latrines and prevention of construction of dry latrines are not stringent enough to eliminate this practice;
AND WHEREAS it is necessary lo enact a uniform legislation for the whole of India for abolishing manual scavenging by declaring employment of manual scavengers for removal of human excreta an offence and thereby ban the further proliferation of dry latrines in the country;
AND WHEREAS it is desirable for eliminating the dehumanizing practice of employment of manual scavengers And for protecting and improving the human environment to make it obligatory to convert dry latrines into water-seal latrines or to construct water-seal latrines in new construction;
AND WHEREAS Parliament has no power to make laws for the States with respect to the matters aforesaid, except as provided in article 249 and 250 of the Constitution.
AND WHEREAS in pursuance of clause (1) of article 252 of the Constitution, resolutions have been passed by all the Houses of the Legislature of the States of Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tripura and West Bengal that the matters, aforesaid should be regulated in those State by Parliament by law;

Be it enacted by Parliament in the Forty-fourth Year of the Republic of India as follows:-

CHAPTER I
PRELIMINARY

1. Short title, application and commencement.-

(1) This Act may be called the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993.

(2) It applies in the first instance to the whole of the States of Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tripura and West Bengal and to all the Union territories and it shall also apply to such other States which adopts this Act by resolution passed in that behalf under clause (1) of Article 252 of the Constitution.

(3) It shall come into force in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tripura and West Bengal and in the Union territories on such date as the Central Government may, by notification, appoint and in any other State which adopts this Act under clause (1) of Article 252 of the Constitution, on the date of such adoption.

2. Definitions.-

CHAPTER II

PROHIBITION OF EMPLOYMENT OF MANUAL SCAVENGERS, ETC.
3. Prohibition of employment of manual scavengers etc.-

(2) The State Government shall not issue a notification under sub-Section (1) unless-

4. Power to exempt.-

CHAPTER III
IMPLEMENTING AUTHORITIES AND SCHEMES

5. Appointment of Executive Authorities and their powers and functions.-

6. Power of State Government to make schemes.-

(2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such schemes may provide for all or any of the following matters, namely:-

7. Power of State Government to issue directions.-

8. Executive authorities, inspectors, officers and other employees of such authorities to be public servants.-

9. Appointment of inspectors and their powers of entry and inspection.-

10. Power of Executive Authority to prevent environmental pollution in certain cases.-

11. Duty of HUDCO to extend financial assistance in certain cases.-

12. Power to levy fee.-

13. Constitution of committees.-

(2) The composition of the committees constituted by the Central Government, the powers and functions thereof, the terms and conditions of appointment of the members of such committees and other members connected therewith shall be such as the Central Government may prescribe.

(3) The members of the committee under sub-Section (1) shall be paid such fees and allowances for attending the meetings as may be prescribed.

(4) The State Government may, by notification, constitute-

(5) The composition of the committees constituted by the State Government the powers and functions thereof, the terms and conditions of the members of such committees and other matters connected therewith shall be such as the State Government may prescribe.

(6) The members of the committees under sub-Section (4) shall be paid such fees and allowances for attending the meetings as may be prescribed.

CHAPTER IV
PENALTIES AND PROCEDURE

14. Penalty for contravention of the provisions of the Act and rules, orders, directions and schemes.-

15. Offenses by companies.-

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-Section (1), where an offence under this Act has been committed by a company and it is proved that the offence has been committed with the consent or contrivance of, or that the commission of the offence is attributable to any neglect on the part of any director, manager, managing agent or such other officer of the company, such director, manager, managing agent or such other officer shall also be deemed to be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.

Explanation.- For the purposes of this Section.-

16. Offences to be cognizable.- Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, every offence under this Act shall be cognizable.
17. Provision in relation to jurisdiction.-

18. Limitation of prosecution.-

CHAPTER V
MISCELLANEOUS

19. Information, reports or returns.-

20. Protection of action taken in good faith.-

21. Effect of other laws and agreements inconsistent with the Act.-

22. Power of Central Government to make rules.-

(3) Every rule made by the Central Government under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each House of Parliament, while it is in session, for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or both Houses agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so however that any such modification shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule.

23. Power of State Government to make rules-

(3) Every rule and every scheme made by the State Government under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before the State Legislature.

24. Power to remove difficulties.-

(2) Every order made under this Section shall, as soon as may be after it is made, be laid before each House of Parliament.

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